As vehicle seating capacity is a concern for consumers many vehicles now come equipped with a third row of passenger seating, such vehicles include sports utility vehicles (SUVs), minivans, full size and conversion vans. However, in order to reach the third row of passenger seating a passenger usually has to cross the second row of passenger seating to access a passageway which leads to the third row of passenger seating. As such, the seat assemblies which constitute the second row of passenger seating must be capable of alternating between a seated position and a stowed position (i.e. a walk-in position), to allow for easy access to the third row of passenger seating.
It is known to provide the seat cushion of the second row seat assemblies with a release handle which the passenger is required to actuate in order to move the seat cushion into either the tip-up (stowed) position or the seated position. The passenger must actuate a release handle and lift the seat cushion to place it in the stowed position. In order to move the seat cushion from the stowed position into the seated position, the passenger must actuate the release handle and move the seat back into the seated position.
In such a design the seat cushion is provided with a certain degree of looseness, i.e. until the seat cushion is locked into the seated position the seat cushion had a free range of motion towards both the stowed position and the seated position. The looseness of the seat cushion raised consumer concern regarding the quality of the seat assemblies, and other warranty issues. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a seat assembly which provides a passenger with a quick and easy ability to move the seat assembly from the seated position to the stowed position and which diminishes consumer concern over the quality of the seat assembly by eliminating the looseness of the seat cushion.